Music Director Dean Anderson, La Sierra University’s director of orchestral studies, will lead the La Sierra University Orchestra, Symphony Irvine and Santa Ana Valley High School musicians in a performance of Gustav Holst’s, “The Planets.” Here he conducts the La Sierra University Orchestra and a combined chorus at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2015. (Photo by Natan Vigna/La Sierra University)

Children as young as 7 are sensitive to discrimination and can suffer from its impact, a UC Riverside study has found.

Previous studies have shown children that young can identify racism, but the study from UCR psychology professor Tuppett Yates and Clark University assistant psychology professor Ana Marcelo is the first to examine the impacts on children under 10 years old. The study also suggests that a strong sense of racial identity can help buffer the negative effects.

“We must recognize that ethnicity-race is an important part of a person’s identify and development even at an early age, rather than profess to operate as a colorblind society,” Yates said.

Research has long documented the negative effects of discrimination on human development. Among black and Latino teens, these impacts can manifest themselves in substance abuse, depression and risky sexual behavior. Among adults, those who experience discrimination are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Yates’ and Marcelo’s study, recently published in the Journal of Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, looked at 172 7-year-old children — half girls, half boys. Fifty-six percent of the children were Latino, 19 percent were black and the rest were multi-ethnic-racial.

Cal State San Bernardino hires vice president

Cal State San Bernardino has hired Robert J. Nava as its new vice president for the Division of University Advancement. Nava has spent 33 years in higher education advancement leadership roles, including 18 years in the inland region.

Nava, currently the vice president for university advancement at San Francisco State University, will formally join the Coyote family on Nov. 13 and begin serving in his new role Jan. 2, 2019. He will replace Ron Fremont, who is retiring from the university in December after serving 35 years in the California State University system, including six years as vice president of advancement at CSUSB.

Nava’s work at San Francisco State includes development, alumni relations, governmental and community relations, communications, marketing and special events, He also worked with the San Francisco State Foundation.

Nava also has worked at the University of Texas, El Paso and UCR. He and his wife, Cathy, still have a home in Riverside.

Musicians to perform “The Planets”

Riverside County musicians will blend notes with Orange County players at La Sierra University on Saturday, Oct. 27, for a performance of Gustav Holst’s epic work, “The Planets.”

The La Sierra University Orchestra, Symphony Irvine, and musicians from Santa Ana Valley High School’s orchestra will play the Holst work, which is comprised of seven movements, each named for the planets Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The performance will be at 7 p.m. at the La Sierra University Church, 4937 Sierra Vista Ave., Riverside.

The combined group features 87 musicians led by Dean Anderson, director of the La Sierra University Orchestra and Symphony Irvine.

“I am hoping the audience will be inspired,” Anderson said. “Holst composed for the orchestra in such a way as to showcase the different sound, colors, and characters that are not usual, such as a bass oboe, or alto flute.”

The performance will be illustrated by animated graphic images of the planets, with planetary descriptions given by David Kendall, head of the La Sierra Music Department.

Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 for seniors 55 and over, and $5 for students with identification. For more information, call 951-785-2036 or email music@lasierra.edu.